What Kate Wants
by klscastle
Summary: Chapter 1: Kate reflects on her relationships past and present. 2: Rick's zany point of view. 3: The Phone call. 4: A little help from your friends. 5: A Family Affair. 6: The Dinner.
1. Chapter 1 What Kate Wants

_**What Kate Wants**_

**Summary: Kate has some down time, ponders her relationships, tries to get her head straight, and starts to see things more clearly. Set mid season 3.**

**Disclaimer: These awesome characters are not mine. I am just playin' with them for a little bit. Please don't sue, you will be very disappointed.**

It's late Saturday morning and Kate's got a rare day off. She's not on call. There are no new bodies for her team to investigate. She said her good-byes to the boys last night with a "See ya' Monday", and had left looking forward to enjoying her weekend of solitude.

Two whole days with nothing to do but lounge, read, watch movies, clean or do laundry. Or, she could do nothing at all and just catch up on her sleep. Castle wasn't even around. He had been out of town all week and was due back sometime this weekend, but she wasn't sure exactly when.

Truth be told, she misses him. She missed him all week. It really wasn't the same without him around. Granted, they were busy and still got a lot of work done, but there wasn't as much laughter. It wasn't as much fun. There was no one around to pull her pigtails. She wonders what he's up to right now.

She had gotten up early this morning, went for a run, came back, showered then changed into a t-shirt and leggings. She put the TV on low for some background noise as she got herself comfy on the couch, settling in for a long day of nothing. Maybe she'd watch some movies. Eat some ice cream. For the first time in a long time, she was just going to relax.

She was bored already. _She wonders if he'll call her when he gets back to town._

It wasn't long before she let her mind wander. She was remembering her recent break up with Josh. It was two weeks ago. She still hadn't even told Castle about it and wondered if he knew. Probably not, since she'd been keeping it to herself. She didn't even tell Lanie yet. She knew she should probably mention it to Castle the next time she had a chance, before he heard it from someone else, but she was a little nervous about telling him. She really wasn't sure why. She needed some time to process it all.

She thought about why it hadn't worked out with Josh. He was a great guy after all. A real catch. Fun, smart, handsome, had a good job. They got along ok. They didn't even really argue during their relationship. Granted the last couple of months they barely spent any time together but she hadn't even found herself annoyed with that fact.

They parted ways simply enough. It was mutual. No loud arguments, no surprise even. He was out of town more than in. She needed someone to be there for her and if she truly loved him, she would have tried harder to make it work. He was going out of the country yet again and they agreed their lives were going in different directions. They parted as friends. He told her to "Be happy". She was sad to see another relationship end, but she knew she wasn't in love with him.

She needed ice cream. Moving to her kitchen she grabbed a spoon, the pint of Ben and Jerry's Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie she had stashed in her freezer and hit the couch again. If a great guy like Josh wasn't the one for her, then who was? What was she looking for and would she ever find it? Her thoughts drifted to the idea of her perfect man…

She would want a partner who understood how important her job is to her. He would believe in her fully, know she could handle herself, even though he realized her work can be dangerous.

He would know she has the ability and training necessary to keep herself, her team, safe. This job is what she's meant to do. Catching the bad guys is one of the main things that drive her. She's not giving it up. He would have to understand her job is part of who she is and not want to change her.

He wouldn't treat her as a damsel in distress, waiting to be saved. She's a strong, modern woman, not a 50's throwback. She can take care of herself, she's confident in this, and he can't imagine it's all just a façade. She's earned her reputation. She demands equality.

She knows her strong points. She's smart, quick, tough, and skilled. When it comes to her profession she knows her stuff. She's had the appropriate training and enough on the job experience to know how to get the job done. He has to believe in her abilities or he isn't worth wasting her time on.

Her perfect man would be smart, loving, loyal, honest, trust-worthy, and have a wicked sense of humor. He would need to be sexy, a bit of a bad boy. He would need to be just as dedicated to his job as she is to hers. He would have to be someone out to help others, do more for them, then for himself. Selfish and self-centered would not appeal to her. _Yum, she has to remember to tell Castle about this ice cream. He would love it. _

She's also a woman, human, with womanly needs & desires, but demanding of equal treatment here too. She's looking for a life-partner, not meaningless interludes. She doesn't have time to waste when there are more important things she could be doing.

She'd like to think she's smart enough to know this man right away when she finds him. That everything will fall into place. Be uncomplicated. Unfortunately, she knows that's a crock because her life has aways been complicated.

In bed, he would make her lose control and she him. Up to now, she has never lost control. It would be amazing. She's not one to believe in fairy tales, but every once in awhile it would come pretty damn close. _She briefly wonders if Castle will want to maybe catch dinner and a movie tomorrow._

She thinks back to her past relationships with Will, Tom, and Josh and thinks she thought she knew what she wanted. They were all great guys and she thought she could be happy with any of them. But she knows she was wrong. There were things that were missing.

She thinks she sees parts of what she's looking for in one particular man, who's been around for some time now, but continuously second guesses herself. He's become her best friend. Could it really have been right in front of her all along? Could she be that blind? Has she been missing all the signs?

She can't deny there's an attraction. _Those damn blue eyes._ Even when she had other boyfriends in the picture she had to work to keep her head straight around him. But is he her "one and done"? Could she be his or is it all just playtime for him?

Sometimes, it's just so electric, this thing between them, nearly impossible to ignore. It's then she almost wishes she could read his mind, find the confirmation she so desperately needs.

Are friends even supposed to feel sparks like this? Obviously, they care for each other, have each other's backs. They're best friends, that's a given. But is it more?

It always surprises her how, in a heartbeat, the connection between them can absolutely sizzle, the heat tangible, so overwhelming, that she nearly gets dizzy just from the way he looks at her. She has to work really hard to look that unaffected. He makes her head spin, her heart flutter. If only he knew how she's succumbed to his charms. It can be really hard not to smile at his antics. _God, he makes her laugh._

She can't help but wonder what it would be like if he took her to bed. She's pretty sure they'd set the place on fire. Sometimes he stars in her dreams, although she would never admit it to anyone. She's had some really good ones, making it sometimes difficult to look him directly in the eyes the next day. She can't lie to herself, the man's hot and to be the focus of all that attention...

She shakes it off because they may never know. She's cautious and takes baby steps. He's impatient by nature. The type to jump off the boat without a life jacket, dam the consequences. He gets bored easily. He could disappear out of her life again like he did last summer.

It could all change tomorrow, but for right now their dance continues.

She enjoys their banter. Loves to listen to his crazy theories. He challenges her. Keeps her thinking outside the box. He loves to think he has her all figured out and he knows she loves to prove him wrong. It's their way. She wonders what his reaction would be if one day, out of the blue, during his incessant flirting, she just jumped him. Just once she'd like to wipe that sexy, self-assured, smirk off his face. Show him she can give, as good as she gets.

She flirts back occasionally, teases him somewhat, but only because she needs to keep him guessing, keep his interest, prolong this thing. She needs some more time to be sure.

Mostly, when he flirts she retreats, turns away, changes the subject. He's come to expect it. It's what they do. Although, once in awhile she'll catch what she thinks might be disappointment flash across his eyes when he thinks she's not looking.

Alas, retreating is safer. She doesn't trust her head when her hearts all a flutter. He throws her off balance like no one else ever has. It might be more than simple attraction but she's old enough to know that lust and love are sometimes easily confused.

Maybe she's not meant to have a "one and done". Maybe she's supposed to live her life without that. She has her work and she has her friends. Many have less. But she can't help but think she's supposed to be part of a family. Maybe not right now, but someday. She thinks she might want what her parents had.

She's just not sure she can take the risk with him. She values their friendship too much to screw it up. What if it didn't work out?

She's afraid to make another mistake and doesn't want her heart broken into a million pieces. She's supposed to be smart. Learn from her mistakes, not repeat them. She's made more than a few… she knows she's quite far from perfect. But she still expects perfection from herself, and from those she lets into her life.

She knows her own flaws well. She's too quick to judge people. She doesn't trust easily. She knows she's too serious, too uptight. She needs to lighten up, have fun. She needs some silly. And yes, she's aware of who does silly.

She knows she should work on these things but part of her, Kate the Cop, can't not watch people, study their actions, assess their body language, scan for the lie. Kate the Cop, looks for dishonesty and searches for truth.

She needs to stop profiling him, looking for ulterior motives and trust him. She has to start taking his kind words and gestures at face value. She's pretty positive she's been missing what's right in front of her. She has the distinct feeling she has been missing the proverbial boat. She needs to go see him before she changes her mind.

She's not even sure when she did it, but she looks down to finds her cell phone in her hand, his number already dialed. She gets up, moves quickly to her bedroom in search of an outfit to change into. As she's hunting through her closet his line still ringing, she realizes she owns a lot of jackets, but there's not a lifejacket in site. To hell with it - she's going anyway.

_**Shall I continue? I've only recently started writing fan fiction. This is my 2**__**nd**__** story, so I would really love and appreciate some feedback. I'm not too proud to beg. So this is me begging. Whether it's good? Bad? Whatever, I'll take it! This is a lot of fun, a good creative outlet I have always wanted to try, but I have no idea what I am doing and hope to improve. If anyone has any suggestions, or would like me to do more, I'm open to ideas! Or should I just go back to watching re-runs of Castle and reading your fan fiction? That really wouldn't suck…**_


	2. Chapter 2 What Rick Wants

Summary: This is a continuation of my story, What Kate Wants. Here's Rick's point of view.

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine, they belong to ABC, etc. This is simply my playtime.

Chapter 2 What Rick Wants

_He's dreaming about her again… and he's smiling in his sleep, because this time, it's a really good one…_

In the light of day, he's not surprised by them, he dreams of her all the time now. He lets himself enjoy them, the steamy, fun ones that is, but the scary ones, when she's in danger - not so much.

He knows it's his mind's way of working their story through in his head, especially after a particularly rough case or a long day in her presence. He is simply overwhelmed by her, thinks of her all the time, so it's no shock she invades his dreams at night when his guard is down.

He knows it's his subconscious giving him clues as to what he really wants and what he wants, is blatantly obvious. He knows he needs to take action, but first he needs a plan. A really good plan…

_He dreams he's stepping out of the elevator and into the bull pen of the precinct. He quickly scans the area, takes a mental head count, and notes all the regular players are present except for his Beckett. Where, oh where is the "love of my life" he wonders?_

_He then bursts out happily in a loud, sing-song voice, "Oh, Hon-eeey, I'm home!" but everyone ignores him. Plus, still no sign of Beckett. _

_He's perplexed by this, so he tries it again. This time everyone does look up at him, annoyed, and there's a moment of complete silence where no one says anything before they all resume their work as if he'd never spoken, let alone sung, twice, in the middle of the bullpen. _

"_OK", he says quietly to himself, decidedly taking it down a notch. He steps further into the bullpen and heads off towards her desk._

"_Now where did that little minx run off to?" he dreams to himself, because even in his dreams he knows she would kill him for saying something like that out loud._

_He finds Esposito and Ryan both sitting at their desks doing paperwork. He says hello to them both, then asks how they're doing. _

"_What's up guys?" he says in a friendly manner. _

_They look up, seemingly annoyed by his presence. "They look at each other, stand, hands on hips, and simultaneously greet him with "Where the hell have you been Castle?" exclaiming - also in unison, "She's been miserable without you and she's taking it out on us!"_

_At first their words don't register fully in his brain, because frankly, he was a little creeped out by the unison thing. He shakes his head as if to clear it, and to get his dream back on track. Once cleared, he resumes their conversation. _

_So, he thinks, smirking, she told them she missed me, did she? They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. _

_He missed her too…. he really did. He remembers his long, lonely week. He's been miserable without her and he lets out a heavy sigh. _

_Wait a minute! They said she missed him! At this news his mood escalates to positively gleeful. If only he owned a diary, he would write in it right now. _

_He knows he's supposed to act cool about it in front of the guys, so he puts on his best cool face. By the looks he's getting, they don't appear to be buying it. Apparently, it needs more work. _

_They're still talking to him, but since he had been off on an insecurity tangent, he has trouble keeping up. He asks them to repeat the part about her missing him. _

_He needs clarification, he needs to be sure, so he asks if she specifically said she missed him or if they only assumed she missed him. _

_They look at each other, roll their eyes, shake their heads, and turn back to him with a look that clearly says he's pathetic. _

_Esposito tells him, that of course she didn't tell them that herself, nor did she pass him a note in study hall, and that he's an idiot. He says her bad mood corresponded with the exact times his absence occurred, which makes him their main suspect. _

_Ryan also tells him Dr. Motorcycle Boy visited Beckett yesterday at the precinct, and since she didn't seem upset after he left, they had even more proof Castle was their perp. _

_He takes a deep breath and confesses he never wanted to make her unhappy, but had to stay away for awhile to clear his head, figure out what to do about his feelings for Beckett. He doesn't want to stop working with her, he's her partner, but this thing she has with the pretty boy was slowly killing him. _

_He holds his breath because he can't believe he's spilled his guts to them like that, it makes him look whipped, but they don't appear surprised or laugh at him and they genuinely seem to understand. _

_He senses something akin to male camaraderie, and admits it feels amazing to finally get it off his chest. They say nothing, but their encouraging looks persuade him to go on. _

_He has a fleeting thought that maybe they can help and he feels his internal damn of emotions finally burst. _

_She's his! , he declares, as he stamps his feet in frustration like a five year old with a temper tantrum, and asks them how she can't possibly see what's so obvious to everyone else. She's supposed to be a detective for Christ's sake, he exclaims. Doesn't she see they're perfect for each other? Does he really have to hit her over the head with it? , he cries. _

_Gee, that felt good, he thinks, but he sits down nervously running his fingers through his hair before covering his face in embarrassment. Oh well, so much for playing it cool. _

_He realizes this outburst was unusual, even for him, and uncovers his eyes, somewhat, gauging their reaction. He's pleased to find the twins are nodding like bobble-heads, so he gathers up his courage, stands tall, and paces while ranting, to his seemingly captive audience. _

_He's not done yet, he thinks to himself, and he finds himself angry and wanting to hit something. _

_Josh is all wrong for her! He doesn't make her happy! He doesn't make her laugh or appreciate her like Rick would! The woman's a goddess and Josh isn't good enough for her! , he shouts to the air. _

_Sure, he's a successful surgeon, ridiculously tall and good looking, and runs around saving lives every day, but... _

_God, I hate that guy! , he declares disgustedly, before stopping for a second. _

_He allows himself this brief moment to regroup because he's pretty sure that's not the direction he wanted his rant to go in. That - and it's his dream, damnit._

_Esposito cuts in with, "Bro, we don't get it either. You're like a love sick puppy for god sakes. That guy's not good enough for her. You and Beckett, you're a team." _

_Ryan nods in agreement then says dreamily, "I think it's sweet, you and Beckett. Ah, unrequited love…"_

_Esposito smacks Ryan and tells him to shut up. It's not unrequited love, you idiot. They're both just chicken shit!_

_Ryan turns to Castle and adds, "I just want you guys to be as happy as Jenny and I are." Then he glares at Esposito, sits and pouts._

_Now, where was he, Rick thought? Oh, yeah, he wasn't finished with his ranting. Back to why he's way better than the other guy… _

_He's getting all worked up again and he can feel the adrenaline flowing. I'm a great catch, he tells them with confidence. I'm funny, charming, successful and if I must say so myself, ruggedly handsome. Women love me. _

He doesn't voice this next part, but he's sure she has her reservations about him and he understands them. But he only has eyes for her; she shouldn't believe what she hears.

He's only had two real relationships in his life, both ending in divorce. What she doesn't know is he was the faithful one in both of those marriages. They cheated on him. He knows the reputation he has in the media, but it's all a load of crap.

He tried to make it work with them, but Meredith, while he's grateful she gave him Alexis, didn't want anything to do with a baby and a husband. They did the best they could before she ended it by cheating on him with her director. She was more than happy to give him full custody of Alexis.

When he see's Kate interact with Alexis, how well they get along, it makes his heart ache for the family they could be.

Then there was his marriage to Gina, which was basically a business arrangement. She liked his fame and fortune and he had a really good editor, bed partner, and hopefully a step mother for his daughter. They never really connected. It wasn't love. It was convenience. He couldn't figure out how to make Gina happy, even though he tried and eventually she looked elsewhere.

Alexis got along with her well enough, but their relationship always seemed to be forced. After the divorce with Gina was final, Alexis told him she didn't want just any step mother. She wanted him to be happy. She'd rather it just be them, unless he knew he'd found "the one". His daughter's so smart.

He and Gina work well together and remain friends, but other than last summer's roll in the hay, which was a mistake by the way, that's a road he's not taking again.

Last summer was so he could forget about Kate and Demming and leaving town didn't help. He was miserable, returning to find Demming gone only to be replaced with his new nightmare, Josh.

But Josh isn't her "One and done" either, he's sure of it. She's still keeping him on the hook, every once and awhile, reeling him back in a little bit more, making sure he's still waiting for her. And he is.

Kate and he are partners in every sense of the word and she'd be better off with him. He would spend the rest of his life trying to make her happy.

There's more than just attraction between them, and no, it's not just lust. Yes, he's wanted to sleep with her since he met her, she's hot, but he's experienced enough to know the difference. He's never felt this way before about a woman. He knows he's in love with her.

_Internal reflections complete, he continues with his rant to the boys…_

_And furthermore, he says with conviction, she doesn't love Josh. She's settling, because she's afraid of ruining our friendship. Afraid of what we could have. _

_Plus, she and Josh have no spark, he says. He glances at the boys and notes they don't look as convinced of this. _

_You know how I know that? , he asks them, not giving them time to answer. Because of the sizzling, hot, sparks she has with me, that's how. We're all about the chemistry, my friends. When we flirt, you can actually see the vapors rising. _

_Josh doesn't love her. If he did, he wouldn't keep leaving for months on end like he has. If it were me, I would never leave her. Can't she see that I'm crazy about her? Next to Alexis, she's become the most important person in my life. Alexis loves her just as much as I do. _

_I've been giving her space, sitting back, hoping she'll realize she has feelings for me too. But gentlemen, the time for action has come. I need a plan._

_They go over the plan…_

_Esposito tells him to man up, take the bull by the horns. Go after his woman. Kick Josh's ass._

_Ryan tells him to fight for her, court her, tell her all the things you just told us. He tells him to include the internal reflections too, because they were pretty insightful._

_He's thrown by this slightly, but nods in agreement and takes it under consideration. _

_Ryan looks him over for a minute and tells him it wouldn't have hurt for him to have brought her some flowers. Rick looks down to his hands finding them empty, and frowns realizing Ryan's right. _

_Ryan then magically pulls a beautiful bouquet of flowers from his desk drawer and says, "here, you can use these!" This is strange because he always thought he just threw old lunch garbage in there, but Rick goes with it and thanks him. _

_He asks for more help with the plan. With his serious face on, Esposito looks him directly in the eyes and says, "Dude, this is your plan. Just do everything we just talked about in this dream." _

_Ok, he says, but he begs them to help him fine tune it. They agree to toss a couple of other ideas around on ways he can court her._

_They're still working on the plan, and talking about how great Halo is, when all of a sudden he can feel her watching him. He knows she's in the room. His heart rate picks up and his whole body is on alert._

_Then he hears it, in her super-sexy, sultry, 900 number voice, "Why hello Castle, you're back, I've missed you Big Rick". He looks to the twins for moral support and they both whisper to him to remember the plan before, threatening him within an inch of his life if he hurts her, and wishing him good luck. They make a hasty exit. _

_He turns around slowly to face her... the love of his life…and finds her dressed in a giant onion suit costume. Vidalia, he thinks briefly._

_He is momentarily stunned, at a loss for words, since he really hadn't seen that one coming. It's one of those big, oversized costumes, where you can only see the person's face, arms and legs and she has on green neon tights and tennis shoes. He shakes his head again to clear it, but this time it doesn't help. She's still a giant onion._

_He decides to take a moment for some inner dialect. It's his dream after all._

_There has to be a reason for this. Although, she does looks kind of cute, he thinks, even if she is dressed as a big, giant vegetable. I mean really, the woman can make anything look good. _

_He thinks it might be because he had all those onions on his pizza last night before going to bed or it's an analogy for her having so many layers to her personality just waiting for him to unfold. He decides to go with the latter. _

_They're smiling at each other now and he's dying to hear what she has to say for herself. He's looking forward to her explanation and trying very hard to contain his laughter because he doesn't want to hurt her feelings. He bursts out laughing anyway and she laughs along with him. God, he loves her laugh. _

"_Ok, Kate", he asks her seriously, "You want to tell me why you are dressed as a vegetable?"_

_Isn't it obvious? She asks, I want you to peel me Rick…_

_No, she didn't just say that, he thinks._

_She doesn't give him time to respond because suddenly, she launches herself into his arms, throws her arms around his neck and locks her lips to his, the impact knocking them both to the ground in a very ungraceful manner. _

_They're kissing, rolling around on the floor, and he's hanging on for dear life. While he's enjoying their kiss, he realizes that now might be a very good time to discuss the plan. Their kiss has given him confidence and he thinks she might be open to his ideas._

_He gathers his senses first and brings them both to a standing position. _

_First things first…_

_What about Josh, Kate? he asks seriously._

"_Josh? Josh, who?" she says smirking, as she reaches for him, placing her hands in his. She looks like she's going to jump him again._

_He gives her his best, pointed, raised eyebrow look so she tries to get serious for a minute. _

"_Oh, you mean Dr. Motorcycle Boy?" she asks innocently. "He's gone and good riddance. He left last night for Northern Siberia to save baby sheep or something like that, and I told him not to come back. I told him I wasn't going with him and it didn't matter if he stayed because you're the only one for me Ricky. _

_He's lets this sink in then breaks out into a big cheesy grin, finding himself ecstatic over her revelation. _

_He tells her how happy this makes him, because part of his plan was to kick Josh's ass and now it's not necessary. What, Josh is a big guy._

_She says she doesn't need him to fight her battles, which he tells her he already knew, and admits she could kick both their asses. She whispers in his ear that although this may be true, she's sure Rick could have taken him. _

_Then she makes her confession to him. "I love you Rick, she says. It's always been you. Always. I was only with Josh because I wasn't ready for you yet and wasn't sure how you felt, but I overheard what you said to the boys and I'm ready to take a chance now. Please prove to me that you want this too. Tell me you're serious about us", she says._

"_I love you too Kate, he tells her. I was afraid you weren't ready. I was scared to ruin our friendship, but now that I know how you feel I'm ready to commit to you, to us". He kisses her gently this time, unafraid at last to show his true feelings._

His dream ends there, as he hears his cell phone ringing and finds himself waking up. He's in his bed and he realizes it must be Saturday morning. He got home last night, early from his book tour. He'd only been dreaming. He grabs for his still ringing cell phone and smiles when he sees her number come up.

Today's the day. It's time to put the plan in effect…

_Authors Notes: _

_I know this chapter wasn't as serious in nature as Chapter 1 with Beckett's point of view, and probably not what you expected, but I honestly thought Ricks dreams would be a hoot, since he's such a character. I hope you enjoyed reading and that you'll click on the review button and drop me a note. I squeeled like a little girl with each review I got for Chapter 1. It meant a lot, really, and gave me the courage to write more. Next up, Chapter 3…let's get these crazy kids together!_


	3. Chapter 3 Getting What You Want

Chapter 3 Getting What You Want

_Summary: Last we left off, Kate figures things out and decides to confront Rick with her feelings for him and confess she's broken things off with Josh. Meanwhile, Rick was having a very telling dream about his feelings for Kate, giving him courage to fight for the woman he loves. _

He's staring at his ringing phone. After the dream he just had about her, his heart rate jumps at seeing her name come up on his caller id. He can't help but smile. It's his Dream Girl, and it's like he conjured her up. He must be very powerful, he thinks and he can feel the Gods smiling upon him.

_Today's the day. Victory will be mine… Queue the old Castle charm. _

"Good Morning. How's the most beautiful detective in the world doing today?" He says in lieu of a more traditional greeting. "I was just dreaming about you- again." He tosses in huskily, for good measure in his best bedroom room voice. She won't believe him, of course, so this amuses him immensely. _If only she knew, he thinks. _He'll have to tell her about his dreams one of these days. Especially, the newest one. It was his favorite. Or maybe not, seeing as he's not stupid.

And there it is, her brain registers – the little tingle that dances up her spine from just the sound of that voice. She wonders how the pheromones manage to make it through the phone. If she's honest with herself she can admit it happens a lot with him. He's so damn charming and she's so damn easy. It's like he has her under some sort of spell, or maybe it's just finally hearing his voice after a week apart, she tells herself.

She takes a second attempting to shake off the sensation. _If it were only that easy, she laughs to herself._ Ok, time to take control of this conversation. Plus, she thinks he's laying it on a little extra thick today. What's he up to? She wonders suspiciously.

"Castle, are you drunk?" she asks with her usual candor, determined to bring him back down to earth.

"No, Kate. I'm not drunk" he answers smiling. "I couldn't be better actually! Why do you ask? Are you surprised I said I find you beautiful? Well, I do, so you shouldn't be. And as for dreaming about you - not so shocking, really…" he murmurs softly, attempting to transmit the validity of that statement.

She doesn't know what to say to that. He actually sounded sincere, for a minute. She instinctively wants to counter with a bit of witty repartee, as he would normally expect from her, but stops herself.

The old Kate would automatically disregard compliments he throws her way, but not anymore. She believes it when he says he finds her attractive. She knows she thinks he's hot, uh, attractive. She likes that he sees her as more than just serious, stuffy, Detective Beckett. Plus, she made a pact with herself and she's determined to keep it. No more running from this thing between them. Time to face it. Head on. If she doesn't lose her nerve first, that is.

Deep breath. She hates that this is so hard for her. "Thank you Castle" she says softly instead. "You're very sweet… and you're not exactly hard on the eyes yourself."

"So, how's your trip going" she then asks quickly trying to change the subject, before he realizes was a sap she can be.

"Huh", he says aloud sounding very confused. Kate Beckett just thanked him for a compliment instead of blowing him off. She didn't call him out when he said he was dreaming about her. Then she complimented him back. No witty comeback. No banter. Now he's suspicious - and worried. She's probably just teasing. She's going to go in for the kill any minute now.

There's a moment of slight awkward silence so he vows to take control of the conversation. "So, anyway detective" he continues, changing the subject "To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"

He's still replaying the last couple minutes in his head when it hits him.

"Wait - a - minute!" he interrupts, not giving her time to answer his question. "It just dawned on me. No way! Could it be you actually missed me Detective?" he teases.

He's calling her on it. Words are frozen in her mouth and she's bracing herself for the inevitable teasing.

"You did! You did miss me!" He accuses, when she doesn't reply. He knows he sounds more like a kid in a candy store than the love god image he was going for, but continues anyway.

"Go on, you can tell me. Admit it! " he teases when she doesn't say anything. He really love pushing her buttons, it's so much fun.

God, he just loves pushing my buttons, she thinks exasperated. Well, two can play at this game. Time to assert herself.

"Actually, Rick" she says with a slight purr to her voice, purposely using his first name. "You're right. I did miss you" she confesses. "In fact, that's one of the reasons why I'm calling. When are you coming back? I've been bored all week, with no one around to play with and pull my pigtails and all…" she trails off. _Ha,_ _Take that Mr. Castle!_

_He doesn't say anything and she can almost feel his confusion building through the phone so she continues._

"So when ARE you coming home?" She questions again. "There's something important I need to talk to you about" she tells him. "In person" she adds quickly.

There's silence on the other end. She imagines he's either confused by her boldness or he's appalled by her flirting technique. She prays it's not the latter.

"Beckett? Is everything ok?" he asks now sounding quite concerned. She's acting very "Un-Beckett like" and it worries him.

"Everything's fine", she assures him and wonders why this has to be so difficult. It's never been this hard flirting with a guy before.

_He's not just any guy, reminds the voice in her head. _

This is so not going the way she wanted it to go and she's getting frustrated. "Nothing's wrong Castle. Everything's great. It's just not a conversation I want to have over the phone." She tells him.

"Ok, good. I mean I'm glad everything is ok" he says. "Whoa, then you really did just admit to missing me. You realize that, right. The Old Castle charm finally got to you did it?" he gloats. "It was really just a matter of time." He adds cockily.

"Castle?" she asks sweetly.

"Yes, Kate?" he replies entranced by the sound of her voice. It's like music to his ears…

"FOCUS!" she yells into the phone snapping him out of it.

"Ok, yeah. Sorry. You said have something important to talk to me about. Got it." He says, ego back in check.

"So when are you coming home?" she asks yet again.

"Actually, I'm home now. I was supposed to come back tomorrow but I got homesick. I missed my girls too much - all three of them, so I made some changes to the schedule and caught a flight back yesterday. I got home late last night. I'm up, if you want to come over."

"Yes!" She blurts out quickly before she can change her mind and chicken out. "I can be there in half an hour" She says.

Ooohhh, she's coming over. He can't wait to see her. He's missed her so much. He can't wait to kiss her.

His dream from earlier this morning then pops in his head. It's still so fresh in his mind. He smiles, remembering his Dream Girl, and her fashionable attire. Oddly alluring… Maybe he'll wait right here for her – in his king-size bed. Maybe she'll wear the suit again. Kinky.

"Kate, what are you wearing?" he asks without thinking.

"Something slinky, low-cut and red", she retorts sexily, sending shivers up his spine. "But you can see for yourself in half hour Castle because I'm hanging up now, ok?"

_Did she just say she's wearing something slinky, low-cut and red? Nah. She's just playing with me. Or maybe it's a bad connection. _

That's when it registers she just said she'll be there in half an hour. Panic strikes and he's jumping out of bed. _He's not ready for her yet! No! No! No! He needs more time. He has to prepare first. Viva la plan! _

There are things to be done. Flowers, dinner, and some other stuff he hasn't figured out yet. He has to think about what the hell he's going to say to her to convince her to dump Josh and be with him.

He has to stall her until later. Stall, stall, stall….think, think, think…

"Wait! Kate! Don't hang up! You can't come over yet. I'm not ready. I mean, now's not a good time." He stutters. "I've got some things I have to do first" he says in what he hopes is a convincing manner.

"How about we meet up later today?" he counters. "Are you free for dinner? Or do you already have plans with Josh?" he freezes realizing he just put his foot in his mouth. He really doesn't want to hear about any romantic date she has lined up with Dr. Motorcycle Boy. Why'd he have to go and bring up – that guy?

This is followed by deafening silence.

And there it is, he thinks, "Say hello, everyone, to the giant, two-ton elephant in the center ring" chants the ringmaster in his head.

It unnerves her more than a little, Castle asking about Josh. He still thinks they're together. Should she just tell him they broke up? She wants to set things straight with him, but decides once again, it's a conversation that should wait till she sees him in person. She needs to see his face, gage his reaction. She wants to look him in the eyes. It can wait a few more hours.

"Dinner? No I don't have any plans for dinner tonight" she assures him. "Dinner sounds great. What time?" she asks.

"How about six o'clock? He asks relieved not to hear more about the elephant. "I'll even cook. I'll make you something special. Then we can talk. But what do say we dress up a little so we can go out and do something fun afterwards? Maybe grab a drink somewhere? Sound good?"

"Sure. Ok, you're on!" She agrees readily. I'll see you at six. _If I don't lose my nerve by then that is, she thinks to herself. "_What can I bring?" she asks.

"Nothing Kate. Just you and your smile. Oh, and that slinky, low-cut, red number you mentioned before. I'd be ok with that." He says.

"And here I tell people you never listen to me" she retorts, before changing gears.

"I'll bring dessert" She tells him. "And I'll make it something sinful, decadent. Yes, I do believe I'm in the mood for something –decadent- tonight..." she whispers that last part in his ear. _They don't call her Nikki Heat for nothing. _

She doesn't give him a chance to respond before adding, "See you at six, Rick" and hangs up.

He finds his throat is suddenly dry and he needs some water.And a cold shower.

_Sinful, decadent…_

"Ok, great! See you later then" he mumbles to no one in particular, because she's already disconnected. _How about we make __you__ the dessert, he thinks to himself._

He's left staring at the phone. "Well, that was new and interesting" he says aloud to no one. She's got him all hot and bothered from just a brief phone call. Once he gets her on board with the plan, he swears she'll be the death of him.

He hurries around his bedroom excited to start the day. First a very cold shower, then breakfast, then strategy. He does his best thinking while cooking. Prepare to be dazzled Kate Beckett!

Back at her place, Kate on the other hand, has begun freaking out. She's afraid she'll change her mind about starting something with him. Six o'clock was hours away. She'll be second guessing herself all day. She's a bundle of nerves. She needs some sage advice, a pep talk. She needs some old fashioned girl talk. And she knows just the person who can help her. She grabs her purse and keys and runs out the door.

_Authors Note: Sorry it took so long to post this, but Mom's been in the hospital for the past month so RL completely took over. I'm a silver lining girl, so I've learned from this that driving 24 hours, stuck in a car by yourself, can do wonders for your plot line. If anyone's still interested in this story, I am going to try to post the final chapter tomorrow since it's already in my head. Thanks to those of you that reviewed so far! I would love to hear what you think! Reviews are almost better than chocolate! _


	4. Chapter 4 With a Little Help

Chapter 4 With A Little Help From Your Friends – Kate & Lanie

One look at Kate Beckett through the peephole of her apartment door had Lanie instantly alarmed. She quickly opened the door, greeted her with a brief "Hey Kate, are you ok?" and sensing Kate was definitely not ok, pulled her inside. Her normally stoic friend looked to be in some sort of crisis, although from what she could see, she appeared physically unharmed.

Foregoing their typical, warm, greeting rituals, instead Kate frantically began pacing Lanie's living room floor and blurted out "Well, let's see, I broke things off with Josh two weeks ago, made a date with Castle for six o'clock tonight, where I plan to confess my growing feelings for him, potentially making the biggest fool out of myself, while risking one of the best friendships I've ever had, not to mention my heart. I don't know if I can do it Lanie! I thought I was sure, but now I'm not so sure! What if he only sees me as a friend and I have all these…feelings…"

Lanie tried to absorb all this, not saying a word, as she watched Kate take a very deep breath before continuing, "Other than that Lanie, everything's fine, just fine!" she exclaimed loudly appearing to be having a mild panic attack.

Kate plopped herself down on the couch and covered her face with her hands attempting to calm herself down. "I need your help Lanie." She said seriously, through the fingers covering her face.

Lanie didn't hesitate….

"Well, first of all, let me be the first to congratulate you for finally pulling your head out of your ass in regard to the completely obvious feelings you have been harboring for Writer Boy for the last couple of years. On behalf of everyone that knows both of you – We thank you!" she said smirking and ignoring the dirty look her friend was shooting her.

"Second" Lanie continued, still smirking, "Javier is in my bedroom, so you might want to keep your voice down!"

Kate's head shot up at that. Lanie watched as Kate's face went from ashen white straight to red with embarrassment.

"Lanie!, Kate exclaimed bringing her voice down to a horrified whisper, "You couldn't have told me Esposito was in the next room before letting me loudly spew out my inner most feelings! Oh, my God, I'm so embarrassed! And the teasing… they'll be relentless!"

"Sorry girl, but you didn't give me a chance! You burst in here all on fire." she defended. "Besides, don't worry about it" she added calmly, "If he heard anything at all, I'll swear him to secrecy and threaten to withhold sex if he teases you." she countered.

"Speaking of My Little Stud Muffin, give me a minute to kick his eavesdropping ass the hell out of here so you can finish your meltdown in peace. I'll be right back" she said going into her bedroom shutting the door, leaving Kate on her couch.

The minute he saw her he started lying. "I didn't hear a thing", he said, which she didn't believe for a minute and her look told him so. "What?" He said still looking unconvincingly innocent.

"Except maybe the part where Beckett broke up with Josh, has the hots for Castle and is going on a date with him tonight. Oh, and that she's unsure of his feelings for her, which is ridiculous, by the way. I mean, how stupid are these people? Nope, didn't hear a thing" he finishes, already getting dressed.

She didn't need to say anything as he continued, "I know, Javier- get out" he mimics her. "I'm going. But it's not like we all didn't see this coming a mile away anyway. And don't worry, I won't tease her about it. It'll be like I was never here. Although, you know we could make a killing right now on the office pool, he says sashaying over to her. "We could finally afford to take a nice long vacation together", he says grabbing her tightly and kissing her goodbye. "You might want to think about it."

She is clearly not amused. "Just kidding, Chica!" he says quickly. "Look, I think it's great!" he says then stops himself. "See what you've done? You've turned me into a sensitive, love sick, sap. What? Don't look so shocked. I have a sensitive side! I'm actually kind of disgusted with myself that I do want to stick around to hear more of your girl talk. But really, I promise, I won't breathe a word of it. I swear. He gives her another squeeze and hesitates before asking, "Would you really withhold sex from me?"

"Yes, yes I would" she says seriously, looking him straight in the eyes to confirm.

"Ok then. My lips are sealed. I'll see you later. Hey maybe we could double date?" He asks kidding around. He sees she's not laughing.

"Too soon?" He says taking in her disapproving glare. "Look. I'm glad they're finally going to work things out. They're good for each other" he says and she sees he's fully dressed now. "Bye babe, I'll call you later" he tells her as he walks out.

"Hey Beckett" he says walking into the living room with his hands up to protect himself, "Don't worry, my lips are sealed" he tells her hurrying out, to avoid the look of death he's sure she's shooting him.

Before leaving he turns to her and says, "For what it's worth, you two are good together. I'm happy for you." He adds, closing the door behind him.

She's pretty surprised by this and turns to Lanie and says "Javier Esposito is a hopeful romantic. Who would have known?"

"I did", Lanie says with a little smile.

"So" Lanie says sitting down on the couch next to Kate, taking her hands, "Don't worry about Javier, he promised he wouldn't tease you about it and I believe him. So should you. He's a good man and he knows how to keep his mouth shut. Plus, he really likes having sex with me." she smirks.

"Now, before we continue", she says getting back up and walking into her kitchen, "I'd offer you some coffee, but I really think wine is in order. Frankly, you look like you could use the wine more", she says going into the kitchen. She opens a bottle of wine, grabs a couple of glasses, and brings them out to Kate who is still on the couch. She pours and proposes a toast. "Cheers my friend. Here's to getting what you want." They both take a sip. Then Kate downs half of hers on her second gulp.

"Ok", Lanie starts, "Now tell me more about what's going on. You said you broke up with Josh weeks ago. Why didn't you tell me? I bet Castle was happier about that than an ol' Blue layin on the porch chewin on a big ol' caitfish head!" she says gleefully.

Kate looks at her not understanding. "What?" Lanie defends, "It's a Southern expression my grandmother used to use. So what did he say?"

"He doesn't know yet" Kate tells her. "I didn't tell him either. I needed to get some things straight in my head first. I was going to tell him, but I just couldn't ok. Don't look at me that way. And before you ask, the break-up had nothing to do with Rick. Josh and I broke up for our own reasons. It's true", she adds, sensing Lanie's disbelief.

"Well, that may be true" Lanie says, "But -Rick, since you're on a first name basis now and all" she teases, should hear it from you, his supposed best friend, before hearing it from someone else. So why did you and Josh break up then if it wasn't because of Castle?"

Kate took another sip of her wine and started opening up to Lanie... "We hardly ever saw each other and I was ok with that. Too ok, I guess. That should have been my first clue. Don't get me wrong. Josh is a great guy. Gorgeous, sweet, dedicated, and he cared about me. But I wasn't in it for the long run with him. He just wasn't the one. Our jobs came first for both of us and the timing wasn't right. He told me he loved me, but I couldn't return the sentiment. I loved him as a friend, but I wasn't in love with him. He deserves someone that's crazy in love with him. We all do. We talked about it and decided to just be friends."

"I've been thinking about it", she continued "And I can admit now that after some deep reflection, I may have been distracted by a certain writer. He's hard to ignore you know and I'm not completely immune to his charms. Don't look so shocked, I'm only human and he's sex on a stick for god sakes. Sometimes, he looks at me like he wants to throw me down and ravish me. You try dealing with that on a daily basis." She adds softly, seeing Lanie's knowing look.

"Maybe we just have to sleep together" she goes on. "Maybe this is all just about sex - or lack thereof. Maybe that's all this is -sexual tension..." She trails off.

Kate could see Lanie was letting her get it all out before saying anything, and it felt good to get it off her chest so she continued. "I was headed over there this morning. I was ready to throw caution to the wind. I called him, told him I was on my way over, that I had something important to talk to him about. He said he was busy and asked me to dinner at his place later instead, which is now a date, who's kidding whom. "Whom", she repeats aloud, letting out a tiny laugh. "I'm even starting to sound like him".

"I came over here because I'm afraid I'll lose my nerve by then. I started to second guess myself the minute I hung up with him. I'm not sure this is right thing to do. I mean, on one hand, he makes me crazy Lanie! He's always there, invading my safety circle. He's always trying to get a rise out of me or tossing innuendos around." She says rising to pace again. "Did I mention he drives me crazy? He can be a man-child, he's impulsive, doesn't always use his head, sometimes he doesn't take anything seriously. He has the reputation of a playboy, has been divorced twice and for all I know, he could be seeing someone or multiple women at this point. I have no idea." She concludes.

Lanie was about to enter the conversation, however, Kate cut her off.

"But then he does all these other little things…brings me coffee, makes sure I eat, makes me smile, makes me laugh. He's attentive, a gentleman. He's always in my head even when he's not around. He's constantly swinging his ax at the walls around my heart, which I've worked very hard to put up over the years, damnit. But he can be really sweet, and considerate, and sometimes when he looks at me I can't help but wonder…" she finishes, completely exhausted.

"Yeah, that sounds like hell! I don't know how you stand it!" Lanie says sarcastically.

"I mean, he's Castle", Kate continues, still pacing and ignoring her friend's obvious sarcasm. "He's my best friend. We've been through a lot together. He's been there for me through this stuff with my mom's murder. We're comfortable with the way things are now. We work great together. We're a team. He understands how important my job is to me. We have each other's backs. He's my partner. Romance gone wrong can kill a thing like that, you know. I don't know if it's worth the risk of losing that." She says sitting back down on the couch next to Lanie.

There's a moment of silence where Lanie can see it sinking in to her friend's thick head.

"Oh, my god, I'm in love with Richard Castle…"

"Yes, Kate, yes you are."

"I'm being silly, aren't I?"

"Uh, huh."

"I need to put my big girl panties on and tell him how I feel, don't I?"

"Uh, huh."

"Well then. Thanks for listening Lanie." Kate says soaking it all in.

"Glad I could help Kate." Lanie tells her sarcastically, adding, "You know I didn't actually say anything yet, right?"

"Yes, I know, but you're a good friend and a good listener. I know you're dying to say something now, so go ahead. I'm listening. What do you think?"

Well, first off. It's about damn time! You know there are no other women in his life right now and as for his reputation, that's a load of crap. I'm not saying he wasn't a playboy in his younger days, but not since he's known you. And even if there was someone else, he'd drop them like a hot potato if you gave him the sign you were interested. I don't know why he's divorced twice and neither do you, so you should ask him. Second, any fool can see he's crazy about you. We've all seen the way he looks at you. He's like a love sick puppy." She pauses before starting up again.

Thirdly, of course, he's a man-child. They all are. But I disagree that he doesn't listen to you. For god sakes, Kate, he hangs on your every word. Yes, he's impulsive, and a bit goofy, but that's what makes Castle, well, Castle. And it's not just about sex or sexual tension, although, I have thought you should just go get a room and be done with it about a dozen times. I mean damn, Kate! How you haven't jumped that boys bones by now, I do not know." She says shaking her head.

"You're happier when he's around. He's good for you and you know it. He may not be perfect, but he's perfect for you Kate. And lastly, love is always a risk. There's no getting around it. That's just the way it is. The alternative is a long, lonely life of what ifs… Now, get out of here and go get your man!" She concludes.

By the time Lanie was done with her speech, Kate was calm, smiling and back on track again. She knew she made the right decision coming here.

"You're pretty smart. You know that right?" Kate told her.

"Yes, yes, I do." Lanie replied full of confidence.

"Javier's pretty lucky." Kate added smiling.

"Damn straight he is girl!" Lanie added.

"Thanks Lanie, for everything. You're a great friend." she said downing the last of her wine before they both rose and moved to the door. "My mission is clear. I'm coming clean with him tonight. But first, I have to find something incredibly sexy, hot and red to wear, along with a decadent desert."

"Go get him Girlfriend!" Lanie said enthusiastically as they hugged goodbye. "I want details, by the way. Call me tomorrow. Good luck!" She said before letting Kate out and shutting the door.

She felt 100% better as she left Lanies than she did upon arriving. She flagged down a cab and headed off to do some shopping.

_Authors Note: I wasn't planning on this story have another chapter, but it's where my typing fingers took me. I am aiming to post more tomorrow if anyone shows any interest! Thank you to those that have reviewed so far! I have an actual happy dance I do when reviews come in. More of a jig really…. :-)_


	5. Chapter 5 A Family Affair

What Kate Wants

Chapter 5 A Family Affair

Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. They belong to ABC. If they were mine, they'd be having a hellava lot more fun!

Meanwhile, back at Rick's place…

After a very long, very cold, cold shower and some very naughty thoughts about a certain detective and himself in said shower, Rick emerged cleansed, refreshed, but still incredibly horny. So much for the cold shower….

He glanced at the clock and immediately started moving faster. There were a million things to do today and only about six more hours in which to do them. He wasn't panicking though, because he was a man with a mission, a fully charged cell phone, and he had some pretty resourceful contacts that he already knew could help him get the job done.

He rattled around in his closet for a couple minutes, taking inventory for tonight's attire, dressed quickly in blue jeans and a favorite, old, faded T-shirt then padded out barefoot to the living room. He threw some music in the CD player and cranked the volume up so high it would make a teenage boy proud. He proceeded to the kitchen to make a quick, late breakfast, refuel and plan strategy.

While he cooked, he went through a mental check list of what needed to be done. He was afraid he'd forget something so he decided a written list was in order. He kept adding to the list while he cooked; groceries he would need for the dinner he was making, clean the house, order wine, flowers, china, linens, candles, pick music, hire a driver to pick Kate up, make reservations at a hot club for after dinner.

His best suit was laid out and all ready to go. This night was going to be perfect! He made a quick call to his contact and he'd arranged most of it before he even finished cooking. That was the easy part.

The most important thing he had to do was have a heart to heart with his dear daughter when she got home from staying over her friend's house. She told him yesterday that she would be home around noon, so he expected her any minute. He prayed she wouldn't have any issues with him and Kate being a couple.

Alexis didn't know it, but she had the power to kill the whole thing. He tried not to let that damper his spirits too much though because he was fairly sure she was crazy about Kate and would be rooting for them. If Alexis did have concerns, then he'd just do his best to convince her that he and Kate were destined to be together. Ok, so now he was worried about that too.

He was singing along into his spatula microphone, at the top of his lungs, to Percy Sledge's, "When a Man Loves a Woman", when he looked up to find Alexis staring at him with a tilted head and bemused expression. This stopped him mid-song.

"Hey Honey! You're home!" he smiled widely and yelled over the music. "I didn't hear you come in!" he added, quickly putting his omelet on a plate, turning off the stove, then moving to the living room to turn down the music to a normal level.

He came right back over to her and they gave each other a big warm hug.

"How's my best girl?" he said squeezing her tight and kissing the top of her head.

"Hi Dad, I'm good." she said with a giggle, his good mood infectious. "I thought you weren't coming home till tomorrow! How was your trip? I missed you!" she said still hugging him.

"I missed you too! The trip went well, but I got homesick." he told her. "I'm so glad to see you!" he added with one last hug.

"You're in an awfully good mood this morning Dad! What's going on?" she asks still laughing at his antics from earlier and becoming slightly suspicious. Something was up with him. He looked one part nervous, one part giddy.

"Why does anything have to be going on?" he said, sidetracking a straight answer because he was indeed, nervous about starting this conversation with her. "I'm just in a great mood this morning! And you want to know why? Because it's going to be a great day, that's why!" he exclaimed, offering to share his breakfast with her, which she politely declined. They sit down at the counter together and he inhales his food while they chat.

They catch up for a few minutes on their week apart but she can tell his mind is elsewhere. He's happy, but distracted. He looks as though he's about to burst – almost like he has a secret.

She asks him again, "Dad, are you going to tell me what's on your mind? And don't tell me that it's just that you missed me so much. I mean, really Dad, you were only away for a week." she tells him rolling her eyes.

"I always miss you when I'm away sweetheart, you know that." he tells her honestly, before deciding to segue into a more serious topic. It's now or never, he thinks to himself, taking a deep breath before gathering his courage. He can see she's waiting for an answer by the raised eyebrow look she's giving him.

"Ok, you're right." He said relenting. "Now that you mention it, there is something kind of important I want to talk to you about" he says, however still hesitating by moving to clear his dishes to the sink while he tries to find the words.

"Quit stalling already Dad and tell me what it is! You're starting to scare me."

"What do you think about Kate?" he blurts out.

"Detective Beckett?" she asks, bewildered, "What do you mean? I like her. I think she's cool. Why do you ask?"

_Cool. Cool, he repeats to himself. That's pretty good from a teenager's perspective, right? That's a good sign._

"Yes, Kate is pretty cool. Very cool actually, but that's not what I meant..." He trails off, not knowing how to continue, running his fingers through his hair as he tries to find the right words.

He looks up to find her staring, waiting for him to continue.

"What I meant was… I want your opinion of… I mean I want to know how you'd feel about… the idea of me and Kate possibly, maybe, sort of …."

"Dad, spit it out" she says frustrated and worried.

"What do you think about me and Kate dating, moving in together, getting married, giving you a little sister or brother, then living happily ever after?" he spat out quickly in one full breath.

"Oh, my God Dad! Kate's pregnant!" she screeches, jumping to conclusions and also out of her chair. He tries to determine if it's a happy screech, horrified screech, or just plain shocked screech, but it's too close to tell, what with his ability to read women apparently weakening over the years.

"No, no, no! Kate's not pregnant!" he insists frantically waiving his hands in the air trying to convince her, before he starts to second guess himself. "At least I think she's not pregnant. I mean, I hope she's not pregnant." He says panic rising in his voice. "God, you don't think she's pregnant do you?" he asks her half whispering, his stomach now becoming queasy.

"I really wouldn't know Dad." Alexis answers, staring at him like he's crazy.

He suddenly feels the need to sit back down in the chair, so he does, as he tries to remember if he's missed any signs. No. He's witnessed no morning symptoms. She's not showing. She hasn't been running off to the bathroom to throw up. No mysterious Doctor appointments that he knows of, anyway. She has seemed distracted lately, but he wouldn't call it mood swings.

But what if she is pregnant? What if that's the important thing Kate wanted to talk about tonight. Oh, my God, could Kate be pregnant? His mind's running rampant as he tries to absorb the possibility.

"Wait a minute!" Alexis yells before shooting questions at him. "When did she break up with that Doctor Motorcycle guy you told me about? How long have you and Kate been dating? And you're getting married already? How come you didn't tell me before now?" she asks, realizing from the look on his face that he's not listening to her and that something is off, none of this is making sense.

He comes to the conclusion quickly, that even if Kate's pregnant, they'll work through it together. He's not giving up on his plan for them! He and Kate will raise the baby without what's his face. He'll love the child like it was his own and they'll live happily ever after, damnit. They're meant to be together- he and Kate that is, not her and the other guy. He'll just have to convince her. His plan still holds strong. As long as Alexis is ok with it, that is.

He suddenly snaps out of it, remembering Alexis is still there and has just asked him a bunch of questions he should probably start addressing.

"Um, let me back-up honey." he calmly tells her. "We're not actually dating. She's still with what's his face. And I haven't asked her to marry me -yet." He tells her.

"But, Dad, you just said you were getting married and making babies! What do you mean she's still seeing someone else and you're not even dating her yet? I'm so confused!" she exclaims frustrated.

"I may have overstated. Let me start by saying that you play an important role in what happens. You are now and will always be my number one priority. You have to believe that. I need your blessing before I pursue anything further with Kate." He says sincerely. He can see he has her attention so he continues.

"I've got a plan, and I need your help- if you approve." He gives her a moment to let that sink in.

"So, what do you think about Kate?" he asks her nervously.

"Well…. I love Kate." She says seriously. "Not as much as you do, obviously..." She says with a smirk before continuing, "I think she's great Dad. She's smart, funny, she's always nice to me and she doesn't treat me like a child. We have a lot in common. Plus, I think she's good for you. She makes you happy and it's also pretty obvious that she's always had some feelings for you." She tells him.

"That's great!" he responds gleefully.

"However, that being said…" She cuts him off, putting her pointer finger up, signaling to him that she's not quite done.

"I hate that you put yourself in danger all the time following her around. You're a writer Dad, not a policeman and it's too dangerous. You've almost gotten yourself killed a dozen times already. I worry about you all the time. Can you honestly tell me that if it wasn't for Kate, you wouldn't have stopped doing it by now? I mean, haven't you collected enough "research" for your writing by now? I think the real draw for you is Kate and that worries me."

"I understand what you're saying honey" he tells her. "I really do. But I love trailing the detectives around. Yes, Kate makes it awesome, but she's not the only reason that I do it. I've never had so much fun before and look what it's done for my book sales. That's your future we're talking about. I know it can be dangerous and maybe that really isn't fair to you, but I'm having the time of my life! This is who I am kid. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be doing it for, but I can tell you I don't really want to give it up." he says honestly.

"I know Dad. I know you don't. But I don't have to like it. Sometimes I just wish my Dad was boring like all the other kid's dads though." She sighs. "Can you understand that?" she asks.

"Yes, but instead you're stuck with me – I'm Cool Dad." he proclaims trying to make her smile. "Who wants a boring Dad anyway?" he asks her. "When you can have all this?" he says pointing to himself. He's overjoyed to see her finally smiling at him again.

She seems to have calmed down a bit so he decides it's time to get serious. He needs to know where he stands. "Alexis, I know you had a hard time when your mom and I split. I did the best I knew how to. I also know what you went through when Gina and I got married and then later divorced. I had hesitations when I married both of them, but at the time I thought it was the responsible thing to do." he tells her knowing he has her full attention.

"As far as your mother goes, I would do it all over again, because it got me, you. I did love her, but she just wasn't "The One". I don't know if you can understand that and I'm sorry if that hurts you, but it's the truth." He says watching her for signs that he's upset her but she appears unfazed so he continues…

As for Gina, I thought she would be a good stepmother for you and we got along alright but we were never madly in love with each other. It was a mistake to get married when we weren't. But I can honestly say I never felt this way about either of them. What I feel for Kate is completely different. I'm not sure I can even describe it to you, it's so overwhelming to me."

She's listening, so he goes on…

"You told me a long time ago after Gina and I divorced that I shouldn't settle. You said I should be happy. That you didn't need another stepmother and that you'd rather it be just you and me, unless I knew I'd found "The One". And you were right. Well, I have Alexis. I found her. Kate's "The One". I know it in my heart. I'm in love with her and this is the real thing."

She looked into his eyes as he spoke and knew it to be true. He'd found his one true love and nobody, not even her, would deny him that. Kate made her father happy. That's all she really wanted. So, what's a girl to do, she relented.

"Ok Dad" she says smiling. "You've convinced me. Kate's your lobster. You have my blessing."

"Yes!" he yells jumping up and pulling her to him for a hug. "I knew you'd be happy about this!" he tells her before thinking back on what she said. "What did you mean when you said Kate's my lobster?"

"It's from the show _Friends_ Dad. Phoebe tells Ross that Rachael is his lobster. Lobsters fall in love and find their match then mate for life. Kate's your lobster!" she explains.

"You- are- the best- daughter ever!" he tells her happily. "What turned you around, by the way?" he asks her curiously.

"Your very romantic declaration, for starters, but I've always known you and Kate would end up together Dad. It was just a matter of time. You, for one, are not exactly subtle- you practically light up like a Christmas tree when she's around. And, she might try to deny it and make it like you just drive her crazy, which I'm sure you do, but I've seen the way she looks at you too." "You guys are pretty transparent." She tells him.

"We are?" he asks surprised as she gives him a "duh" look. He thought he'd been pretty good at hiding his feelings for the beautiful detective. Apparently, not as good as he thought. He could only wish she was right about Kate's feelings towards him.

"It's not like I was shocked you would want to date her." Alexis continues. "Believe me when I say, I expected it. You just threw me into a tailspin before with all the marriage and baby stuff. I meant it, what I said before about the danger you put yourself in. I still wish you'd quit. Maybe if you were dating, she could just tell you stories about her day instead of you actually being there?" she hedges, knowing it's futile.

He's not answering her question and he's avoiding her eyes. Her father is obviously not ready to give it up right now. She knows she's lost this battle, for now, so she decides to put it on the backburner and just pray that Kate can keep him out of trouble.

"I also know she's a kick-ass cop, she continues, who could save your life when it needs saving. I'm not so sure I would trust someone else to do that. I've always thought you were perfect for each other."

"So, you were just torturing me before, and you'll help me with the plan, then?" he asks hopefully, batting his eyelashes at her. "I'm still sort of working out the kinks." he admits.

"You do realize you're asking for romantic advice from a teenage girl, right?" she says.

"These are desperate times." He replies.

"Ok then. Yes. Of course I'll help you. You didn't think I'd actually let you do this unsupervised did you? No offense Dad, but your plans sometimes… suck." she says ignoring his pout. "Ok. So let's review the obstacles on your path to true love."

"We need a list!" she says, taking charge and grabbing the pad and pen on the counter. "What objections might she have against you being together?"

"Well…" he starts, "There is the pesky little problem of her current boyfriend to deal with."

"Got it! Current boyfriend must go. We can work on that…." She tells him as she starts to write. "Eliminate Hot Doctor." She says aloud, reading it back.

"Hey!" he yells.

"What? I hear he's pretty cute." she says smirking at him.

"You're supposed to be on my side!" he accuses.

"I am Dad. I'm just messing with you!"

"Funny girl." He says sarcastically.

"Don't worry Dad. I'm sure you're much more handsome than he is." She reassures him, patting his arm.

"I forgive you. Now back to my list. What if she's really pregnant? Not that it matters to me in the least. It doesn't change anything. I love her and I would love that child like it was my own too, just like I love you." He says.

"Good to know!" she says still taking notes.

"I'll have to handle that delicate topic in a very sensitive manner. She may think she has to stay with him." He says.

"That's what she thinks. You'll convince her otherwise." She tells him.

"We work together. That could make things difficult, maybe even awkward on the job."

"Don't get me started. There's a solution for that, as previously discussed." She replies as she writes.

"We're best friends and we don't want to risk ruining our friendship." he says ignoring her last statement.

"Some of the greatest marriages ever, began with friendship." she adds cheerfully.

"Some would say…" he adds sheepishly, "I have a lousy reputation as a bit of a playboy." This is his daughter he's talking to so it's slightly mortifying.

"But we know that's all in the past. You've grown up."

"Thank you, honey. You really think I've grown up?" he asks hopefully.

"Well, starting now, anyway." She adds quickly.

"Also, she has no clue how I feel about her and I have no clue what her feelings towards me are."

"Yes, I can see where you are going with this. That could pose a problem."

Did I mention she'll be here tonight for dinner at six so I need to have it all figured out by then?

"You're so screwed Dad." She tells him woefully.

"Thanks for your support. Here's a list of what I think needs to get done by six. I put it together myself." He tells her proudly as he hands it to her for approval. "What do you think?" he asks.

"Not bad. Not bad at all Dad." she says scanning the list quickly. "It's a good list." she says looking it over more carefully now. "Very romantic" she comments. "It seems you've taken care of everything except for one thing..."

"What's that, honey?" he asks looking over her shoulder, down at the list trying not to panic.

"…the part where you use your words to convince her to drop the young, hot surgeon and be with you instead." She says.

"Thank you. You've been very helpful." he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "And I'm not old!" he adds indignantly.

"I see from the list you made earlier that you've already called some guy you know to set up some of those things. That's the one you call "Wonder Boy", right? She asks and he nods in agreement.

"You've mentioned him before. How about you give me his phone number? I'll call him to make sure everything's going as planned." she tells him.

"What about making dinner? I still have to do that. I'll need about 2 hours to cook everything." He says, glancing at his watch.

"Are you sure you don't want to have it all catered Dad?" she asks. "It would be much easier."

"No. I promised her a fabulous home-cooked meal, and a fabulous home-cooked meal she shall have!" he declares.

"Ok. I'll take care of getting the groceries you listed and you can start cooking at around 3:30. How does that sound? Does that work?" she asks.

"Yes, that's perfect!" he says.

"Oh, and I'll need your credit card." she adds.

"Here's his business card and my credit card. Spare no expense." he says handing them both over to her.

"Got it!" she says.

"Only you can do this next part Dad..." she says, as she pushes him towards his office. She hands him the list they just made together. "You need to take this, go into your office, and think about what you're going to say to Kate tonight. You need to prepare a counter-argument for each of these issues if they come up. Lock yourself in your office and find the words to tell her how you feel about her - from your heart. Women need words Dad! Do that and I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised." she tells him.

"That's your job this afternoon. Leave the rest to me." she says, having successfully moved him into his office.

"Alexis" he calls out to her as she turns to leave. "Thanks for your help…and your blessing. It means everything to me." He says sincerely.

"Sure Dad. Now, no more procrastinating, go get your thoughts together. You're a writer- Write!" she says pointing at the pad on his desk.

"One last thing honey..." he says stopping her.

"Yes?" she answers.

"A first date is probably too soon to propose, right?" he asks her seriously.

"Maybe just a tad." she replies amused, before closing the door, leaving him to his own devices.

He sat at his desk and reviewed the list Alexis had made. He had an answer in his head for each of the obstacles listed. Therein, lies the problem, he thought grimly. They were all in his head.

If only he could convince his brain and mouth to engage at the same time around Kate without sounding like an idiot. She constantly rattled him and unedited things seemed to pop out of his mouth whenever she was near. She makes him nuts...part of her charm, he figures, glancing over at his really cool murder board, which was currently blank.

He started writing his feelings down on paper when he noticed the murder board again. That's when the idea hit him full force. Visuals! That's what he needs. Visuals! And facts- lots of facts! She's a detective. She'll need undeniable proof. He knew exactly how he'd convince her now. He'll prove to Kate without a shadow of a doubt that she has to break up with what's his face and be with him.

Then just like when he writes his books, the ideas started popping into his head a mile a minute. He was pumped, completely in the zone, his confidence renewed as he got down to business.

_Two hours later…_

He looked up at the clock surprised to see it was already past three o'clock. He'd been locked in his office for hours, but it had been worth it. He was done! He could prepare no more!

He straightened up the mess he'd made, which was substantial by the way, and gave things a final once over. He looked around, smiling, pretty impressed with himself. He couldn't wait till she got there! He was going to knock her socks off!

"I'm a genius," he announced happily, exiting his office and closing the door.

It was time to start dinner and check in with Alexis to see how she was fairing with the rest of the plans. He moved to the kitchen where he found not only a ton of groceries laid out, but both his daughter and his mother chatting at the kitchen counter.

"Hello Mother!" he greets her cheerfully, stopping to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Not, that it's not absolutely wonderful to see you, but what are you doing here? I thought you had plans tonight!" he tells her beaming.

"Why Hello Richard," she says looking him over oddly. "Alexis called me. And I just had to see for myself if it was true."

"If what's true Mother?" he asks, playing dumb, but knowing exactly what she's talking about. He gives his daughter the evil eye.

"A little birdie told me, his mother continues, that you finally decided to make a move on a certain beautiful detective we all know and love. I had to come see for myself. So is it true kiddo? Did you finally get your head out of your ass and …"

"Mother!" he yelps. "Not in front of the kid!" he says pointing to Alexis.

"Oh, please Richard..." she says cutting him off. "I just lost fifty dollars to this _kid_ of yours betting on your love life!"

"Alexis! You bet on me and Kate!" he yelps again, looking at his daughter who had the decency, unlike his mother, to look guilty. It didn't stop her from holding out her hand towards her grandmother who disgustedly put a fifty dollar bill in it, nor did it stop her from breaking out into a grin examining the bill.

Alexis thinks he's going to start lecturing her but instead watches as he breaks out into a matching grin. "Well done, my young Padawan. Thank you for having faith in me." he tells her.

"No problem Dad!" Alexis tells him.

"Seriously Richard, I'm very happy for you." His mother tells him. "She's a great girl. You're a good match! Yin and Yang! " his Mother says standing and moving to leave before she kisses Alexis goodbye.

"Sure, you say that now Mother, but earlier you bet against me!" he accuses her as he walks her out.

"Richard, Richard, Richard…." She says dramatically, gathering her purse and jacket. "Don't be silly. We didn't bet on "if" you and Kate would get together…we bet on "when"! She says patting his cheek.

She kisses him good-bye, wishes him good luck then leans in and whispers in his ear "I like her Richard. You finally found the right girl for yourself." Then she turns, winks at her granddaughter and exits with a flourish.

"Thanks Mother" he says and he's smiling as he closes the door.

"So how are we doing with the "To Do List"? He asks Alexis as he walks back to the kitchen.

"Everything's all taken care of. Groceries were delivered. I think I got everything right. Grams helped me set the table. Wine's on the counter. Flowers were delivered. Fine China, silverware, serving dishes and candles are on the table. A driver will be ready to pick up Kate at five, but he knows not to get her here till six to give you time. You have reservations at a club for later. All the details are on the pad. Music is in the CD player and Grams helped me clean and straighten up. I will be heading off to Paige's house at 5:45. Your credit card is on the counter." She informs him.

"You're amazing. You did a great job Alexis! Thank you for everything! I couldn't have done it without you!" he tells her sincerely.

"You're welcome Dad!"

Alexis asks him how it went behind closed doors the last couple of hours and he tells her everything is under control and that he's ready. "She won't know what hit her!" he exclaims as Alexis retreats to her room.

"Alexis?" he says stopping her in her tracks. "You know you'll still always be my Number One Girl, right?" he says sincerely.

"Yeah, Dad. I do." she replies smiling, before heading upstairs.

He's smiling and happy as he pops the CD from earlier in the stereo, cranks it up and heads to the kitchen to start preparing dinner.

"When a Man Loves a Woman" – Percy Sledge

When a man loves a woman  
>Can't keep his mind on nothing else<br>He'll trade the world  
>For the good thing he's found<br>If she's bad he can't see it  
>She can do no wrong<br>Turn his back on his best friend  
>If he put her down<p>

When a man loves a woman  
>Spend his very last dime<br>Tryin' to hold on to what he needs  
>He'd give up all his comfort<br>Sleep out in the rain  
>If she said that's the way it ought to be<p>

Well, this man loves a woman  
>I gave you everything I had<br>Tryin' to hold on to your precious love  
>Baby, please don't treat me bad<p>

When a man loves a woman  
>Down deep in his soul<br>She can bring him such misery  
>If she plays him for a fool<br>He's the last one to know  
>Lovin' eyes can't ever see<p>

When a man loves a woman  
>He can do no wrong<br>He can never own some other girl  
>Yes when a man loves a woman<br>I know exactly how he feels  
>'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're my world<p>

When a man loves a woman...

_Authors Notes: Is it only me, or can you guys totally imagine him singing this song? The next chapter is nearly complete and will be ready to post shortly. It will be the final chapter. I'm still traveling a lot to see my mother, who has been in the hospital for months, hence the delays. Writing this has kept me sane. Thanks for hanging in there between updates! If you like what you've read so far, please let me know. Reviews make me write faster! BTW: Final Chapter: Rick makes a really good meal for them! Don't read hungry!_


	6. Chapter 6 The Dinner complete

_This story is dedicated to my Mom, Ruth, who passed away recently after a long battle with Cancer. She was the only one in my family who knew I loved to write. Our little secret made her pretty happy because she loved to write poetry when she was younger. She told me to keep it up because it was important to have a creative outlet and not to worry about what others think of my work. She said, "Just do it for you and have fun with it." So this is for you Mom. You'll always be my inspiration. _

What Kate Wants Chapter 6 The Dinner

Music played softly in the background as Rick sat alone, nervously rapping his fingers on the kitchen counter, staring at the door, willing the bell to ring. It was nearly six o'clock, everything was ready and Kate would be there any minute.

The house smelled heavenly, filled with the aroma of their dinner which was keeping warm in the oven. He'd prepared a feast fit for a queen and as usual, was quite impressed with himself.

Before she left, Alexis assured him he looked handsome in his finest suit, a very expensive dark navy Armani. Under it he wore a slightly lighter blue shirt and a navy colored tie with specs of burgundy. She'd noticed his nervousness, straightened his tie, and told him everything was going to work out great and not to worry so much. She said Kate would think he looked "hot". He thought it possible his daughter might be slightly biased.

He was as ready as he could be but still nervous as hell. This night would change everything.

_Hell, who was he kidding – for him, it already had changed. _

He's prepared for any objection Kate might bring to the table. _Bring it on!_ If she needs more time, he'll give it to her. He'll wait as long as it takes - she was "it" for him. Even if she rejects him outright, tells him he's completely delusional about them being a couple, he plans to court her secretly, without her knowledge. Eventually, she'll see the light. He's like a dog with a bone. Plus he's vowed to stay her friend no matter what happens tonight. So he's got nothing to lose.

Kate stood outside Rick's doorway stopping for a moment trying to gather her courage. She'd never been more nervous in her life. Her hands were sweaty, her heart was racing. If she wasn't in three-inch heels she would have already been half way around the block by now. Her fears were kept in check, only slightly, by Lanie's pep talk running through her head, cheering her on.

_So help her, if Lanie is wrong about Castle's feelings towards her, she will have no choice but to kill her. _

She'd arrived perfectly on time, thanks to the driver Castle had sent to pick her up. Not altogether surprising, for she knew how thoughtful and considerate he could be to his friends. She just wondered what made him send one tonight. This felt suspiciously more like a date with each passing minute.

She deposited her bag with their dessert at her feet and checked her appearance one last time. If he appreciated her outfit half as much as his doorman did, it would be worth every penny she spent on it today. _You're stalling. Quit being a pansy ass and get in there already! Lanie's voice again. _She knocked on the door.

The sound snaps Rick to attention. "Game on" he said aloud, jumping up to answer the door. He took one last deep breath and opened it. Gracing his doorway was the most exquisite soul he'd ever seen. He thinks he may have said hello, but it might have been a "Yowza". He really couldn't swear to it.

She was absolutely stunning and he found it hard to breathe, let alone talk. They stood staring at each other for a couple of seconds before Kate finally broke the silence with a hello and asking if she could come in. He wasn't sure he would make it through dinner before jumping her.

When he found his voice again, and remembered his manners, he welcomed her in and picked up the heavy looking bag resting on the hallway floor. He assumed it was the dessert she said she was bringing. "_Sinful and decadent", she'd teased. No kidding._

She saunters past him and he practically drools. Not exactly typical Beckett attire. Not that anything about her was typical anyway. She had to be the sexiest woman he'd ever met. He wonders what she has on underneath that dress. He would normally have stopped gawking at her by now, for fear of retribution, but he refuses to do that tonight. Plus, he figures he's safe. Nowhere to hide a gun under that dress - or a baby bump come to think of it. Although she does have a certain glow about her.

Closing the door he purposely lets his gaze linger. _Let her see me look._ _Remember the plan. No more hiding my feelings._

She's wearing what could describe as slinky, low-cut and red - just as she had promised earlier. But heart-stopping and hot would also apply. Not to mention three inch matching black heels that gave him some pretty obscene ideas he probably should keep to himself. For now. He prayed she was wearing it all for him and not a late night date with Dr. Motorcycle Boy, which would pretty much kill his mood, not to mention plans.

_Nah._ Something told him this was for his benefit. Although, she does love to tease and torture him, he reminds himself. It takes all the restraint he can muster not to say the hell with it, push her up against the door and kiss the hell out of her. _It's official. She's trying to kill me._

"Thanks for sending a driver to pick me up. That was really very sweet of you." She said willing the tingles running along her spine to cease. Her voice snapped him back to attention.

She watched him undress her with his eyes and realizes she's caught that look before. But something was different. He wasn't even trying to hide it this time. The temperature in the room grew suddenly very hot.

Turnabout was fair play, so she examined her prey calculating in her head just how far his bedroom was from where they stood. He looked fine in that suit._ Sex on a stick I tell you. _

Mutual attraction was not going to be an issue between them.

"My pleasure" he answered. "If I'd known you would really be wearing that dress, I would have had him pick you up earlier" he said with a smirk.

"As requested, I believe, Mr. Castle." She replied giving him a half twirl, and the full effect.

"Remind me to make more requests, Miss Beckett. You look absolutely beautiful."

"Thanks. Nice suit, by the way." She said scanning him with obvious appreciation. She was feeling braver every time he looked at her.

Then suddenly, shocking even herself, she moved closer to him. Close enough to brush her fingers along the lapel of his suit, reach up, and kiss his cheek with the pretense of a harmless hello. She took a step back and they locked eyes. _Damn, his eyes are blue. _

_She just kissed me. Yeah, I know it was only on the cheek. Still, it's progress. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all._

So, I brought dessert." She said breaking his reverie and moving towards the kitchen area. She decides to ignore his dumbfounded expression at her boldness. _He looks confused. Good._ "Sinful and decadent- as promised."

"_Great, thanks." He stutters picturing her laid out on the kitchen counter wearing nothing but a smile. And maybe the heels. _

From the view in the kitchen she takes in her surroundings. The loft looked beautiful and the dining room was set to perfection. The food smelled wonderful. Her mouth starts to water.

He asks her what she brought for dessert and she tosses him his favorite Beckett smile.

"It's a Molten Chocolate Lava Cake." She says grinning like a kid in a candy store while licking her lips. "I had the biggest craving for chocolate today. You're going to love this! There's a pocket of chocolate sauce inside the cake and I brought vanilla bean ice cream to go with it. But that's not the best part, she said excitedly. It also comes with a Black Cherry sauce that we're going to heat up to pour over it. Then we'll top it off with the fresh whip cream. Everything's in the bag."

"Wow! You weren't kidding about dessert. It does sound pretty damn sinful." He says thinking of other things they could do with cherry sauce and whip cream.

"I wasn't kidding about a lot of things." She muttered as they store it all away into the fridge. She chose to ignore his confused expression and changed the subject.

"Wow!" she says looking around. "Everything's so beautiful. You really went all out tonight. What's the special occasion?"

On the table were two dozen assorted roses, gorgeous china and candles were lit. It occurred to her that the scene was set for romance. There was music playing in the background. He was trying to impress her. There was no way that he dined like this every day. _What was he up to?_

"Does there have to be a reason to do something special for you?" he asked.

"No. Just curious, I guess." She replies, and then quickly changes the subject. "What smells so good? What did you make us for dinner?" she asks.

He tells her what he's made and she's downright flabbergasted.

She fights the strong desire to kiss him for how sweet he's being. No one's ever gone to this much trouble for her before. She's ten seconds away from throwing herself at him, but before that happens she knows she has to come clean with him about Josh.

She's still unsure on how to bring it up. Should she just blurt it out and watch for his reaction? Of course, if he doesn't respond the way she hopes, she'll be crushed and it would be a sin to miss out on this amazing dinner since he's worked so hard and she's starving._ Maybe we should eat first. The heavy discussion can wait till after dinner. "Coward." Accuses the smirking Lanie in her head._

"Kate, I know on the phone earlier you said you have something important to talk to me about. Well, there's something pretty important I want to talk to you about too, but what do you say we enjoy dinner and dessert or at least dinner before we sit down and talk? Can it wait until after we eat?" he asks hopefully.

"Absolutely! No problem! It can wait." She replies quickly. She pictures Lanie rolling her eyes.

"Great. Dinner's ready. Why don't we sit down?" He says moving to the table to pull out the chair for her.

They're both calmer now and smiling secretly thankful for the reprieve.

Dinner was superb. He was an excellent cook and she told him so. It was absolutely delicious. He was very happy she seemed to be enjoying the dinner. He'd been careful to only prepare dishes he knew she would like.

She couldn't help herself from taking seconds and held off on thirds only because she was anticipating the dessert. She'd been so nervous all day and with running around trying to find a dress, she'd forgotten to eat lunch and was starving. The last thing she'd eaten was ice cream this morning.

She was used to settling for take-out food. This meal was unbelievable. She wondered if he cooked like this all the time. There was enough food to easily feed four people. For appetizers he'd made Artichoke and Goat Cheese Bruschetta, Maryland Crab Cakes, and Insalata Caprese. The main course was Filet Mignon with Spiced Butter and Glazed Artichokes. The Filet Mignon melted in her mouth. For side dishes there were Asparagus Parmigiano and Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

It was probably the best meal she'd ever eaten. And they hadn't even had dessert yet! She wasn't sure she would ever be able to fit in her dress again._ I'm going to have to run twenty miles tomorrow to repair the damage._

At dinner, he'd offered her a glass of what she knew to be very good, expensive wine. At first she'd declined having promised herself she wouldn't drink tonight. She wanted to keep a clear head. He looked slightly alarmed, however, like he thought she didn't like what he'd chosen, so she agreed that one glass couldn't hurt and accepted it not wishing to insult him. He did offer her some sparking grape juice as an alternative, which sounded disgusting to her. Ick. She declined the juice.

It would be way too easy to calm her nerves with alcohol, jump his bones and hit the sheets. She was tempted to do just that with or without alcohol, but that's not how she wanted this to go. She vowed to make the one glass last for awhile. They needed to do some serious talking later.

Over dinner they spoke of their week apart. Out of the blue, he confessed that he'd missed her. His heart did a little flip flop when she responded that she'd missed him too. He let it go at that, not wanting her to flee. He tried to remember if he'd locked the door so she couldn't.

The conversation flowed, most of the nervousness forgotten, the food and the company were enjoyed. They were back to being plain old Beckett and Castle. She told him about the busy week at the precinct, the crazies encountered, the latest office gossip and the endless amounts of paperwork.

He told her, proud as a peacock, how Alexis was looking into colleges she might attend. The way he so obviously adored his daughter made her smile. He really was a great Dad and so natural at it.

She wondered, not for the first time, if he would ever want to have another kid, what with Alexis being almost fully grown. What would a child of theirs be like? She pictured him chasing a toddler around the house, the child looking remarkably like a combination of the two of them.

From Kate's perspective things were going along just fine until he went and brought up Gina. _Like nails on a blackboard. _

Rick told Kate that he spent the entire week with Gina at a beautiful hotel but that it had been grueling. He and Gina were constantly fighting and couldn't seem to get along.

Gina had overscheduled his meetings and readings and was now really mad at him for cutting out early. She was pressuring him to write faster and harping on him about his deadlines again. He said that after dinner one night Gina had a few too many cocktails in her and she expressed displeasure at all the time he devoted to trailing the detectives around instead of writing. He said she was pretty damn rude about it but that he's used to it. She rattles on when she drinks.

_Queue the little green monster. _She was really starting to wonder whether or not he and Gina were dating again. What did he see in Gina that he didn't see in her? Kate thought she seemed a little stuffy. What made Gina his "type"?

He was away with her all week. Were they sleeping together? Maybe their fighting was a lover's quarrel? The thought made her stomach turn. He seemed sad that they had been fighting all week.

She wondered if Lanie was right. Maybe she should come right out and ask him about his marriage to Gina, and to Meredith for that matter. Maybe she should just get it over with and ask him about last summer too when she knows for a fact, he and Gina were dating again.

She did want to know why he had two failed marriages. He's a great guy. Couldn't those women see this? She's not naïve enough to think that he was the perfect husband and there are always two sides to the story, but from what she could see those women were stupid. Their loss could be her gain, she thinks.

While she was reflecting, he'd changed the subject to something else so she decided to ask him about it later. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear his answer right now anyhow. They were having such a nice time and she didn't want to ruin the mood.

She thought it a little odd that he had asked her a couple of times if she felt ok, if she was still running, and if she had been taking care of herself. It was sweet, his concern for her health, but she was starting to think she should go check her makeup. Maybe she looked too pale?

She told him about the case they'd been working on and how it had been wrapped up early last week. He hadn't really missed much of anything except paperwork. She filled him in on the lives of their co-workers, office gossip etc…

Rick had been studying her closely as she spoke throughout the meal. She seemed to be enjoying his cooking and for this he was pleased. She practically lived on take-out food and didn't eat healthy. He made a vow to ensure she does from now on. She could be eating for two, who knows. He was dying to come right out and ask her but didn't want to ruin the mood. There would be plenty of time to talk after dinner. Besides, it was like solving a puzzle and he was looking for clues. He started making a mental list.

She had, at first, politely declined the wine but then changed her mind saying that one glass was all she would have. She basically stuck with the water. She was eating - a lot more than usual. She mentioned having "cravings" for chocolate today but he's seen her eat her fair share of chocolate before so maybe it was nothing.

She sure didn't look pregnant, but maybe she just got the news and wasn't very far along. She did have a certain "glow" about her, but maybe it was just the lighting - or the fact that she was simply smokin' hot. Her breasts didn't look any bigger than usual. He pulled his eyes away from that area because if she noticed, she would kill him. And that dress. Wow! There was no baby bump under that dress of hers that he could see. He had all of her curves memorized and there were no new ones so far as he could tell.

She hadn't mentioned Josh once tonight yet, he thinks tampering down a grimace. Just thinking that name makes him mad at himself. The baby she might be carrying could have been his if he'd just been a man about it and told her how he felt about her months ago. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous. The only baby she should be carrying should be his.

During dinner, they had both caught the other staring a few times. There was the usual banter and flirting but a lot went unsaid, both waiting for the right moment and hesitating to take the conversation a step further. They were both still determined to have the heavy talk after dinner.

They finished dinner and both agreed they were too full to even consider having dessert until they digested. They retired to the living room to relax, finish their wine and talk some more. Kate was still on her first glass, but was wishing for the bottle. Their big talk was looming not so far off in the distance. Rick's nerves were starting up again but he tried not to think about it, choosing instead to discuss the tickets he scored for them at an exclusive club in the city called Provocateur.

_If all went well, they could go celebrate. If it didn't go well, they could still go and a little dancing would be a distraction._

They hung out for a little while longer and then they both knew it was time. The reason they were both here was upon them. "Kate, do you mind if we move this conversation to my office?"

"Not at all" she said following him. He watched her quickly turn and grab the bottle of wine, bringing it with her as they strode into his office.

Kate sits in the office chair thinking of how to casually bring up whether or not he is dating Gina again. _Awkward._ She takes a sip of wine and hopes he brings up whatever it is he is obviously dying to talk to her about first. He's really fidgety right now and it's doing nothing to settle her nerves. She takes another sip of wine.

Ricks pacing the office floor, not looking at her, running his fingers through his hair trying to come up with a sensitive, cool, calm and collected way to ask Kate if she is pregnant with Josh's baby - without her throwing the bottle of wine at him for nosing into her personal business. With that thought, he moves to Kate and gingerly takes the bottle out of her hand and places it just out of her reach on his desk.

Tension fills the room, blood pressures rise, anxiety hits new heights…

"So, you wanted to talk?" she asks. _I hope he goes first._

"Yes, you wanted to talk about something too?" he asks. _Maybe she should go first?_

"You go first" they say simultaneously.

"Oh, no, you can go first" they both say.

"No really it's ok, I can wait" she says at the same time he says, "You can start, I don't mind waiting".

They both realize they are being silly, someone has to start talking. They are putting off the inevitable and so then they both blurt out simultaneously,

"Are you still seeing Gina?"

"Are you pregnant with Josh's baby?

"What!" They both screech, eyes locked, wearing matching shocked expressions.

Kate immediately springs up from her chair and starts pacing. She looks pissed.

"Are you pregnant with Josh's baby?" he's stupid enough to repeat.

"I heard you the first time! No, I'm not pregnant! Why would you think I'm pregnant?"

Rick's watching her pace with his mouth hanging open. He looks dazed and confused. _Did she say she thinks I'm with Gina? Huh? I didn't see that one coming. _

"No, I'm not seeing Gina! Why would you think I'm seeing Gina?" He screeches back. _Why is she so mad?_

Confusion runs amouck…

And then it clicks. She just said she's not pregnant, it finally registers, and his brain starts to do a happy dance and he breaks out into a wide grin. It also registers that from the face she's making she's plotting his demise. His happy dance might be perceived as premature so he tries to cover his happy face with a serious face. He vows to make this right.

"Why on earth would you think I was pregnant? Are you insane?" she yells.

She's looking down at her dress, starting to freak out. _He thinks I look pregnant in this dress? He thinks I'm pregnant. With Josh's baby._ She sits down to ponder this.

Oh my god. He notices her reviewing her outfit and starts shaking his head, panic setting in. _Uh oh. I know that look. Danger! Danger! Warning Will Robinson! That's the "you think I look fat look". Married, divorced twice, remember. No, no, no, no! Must fix now!_

"You said you had something important to talk to me about!" he exclaims, "I thought maybe that could be it! That maybe you were pregnant. You look perfect - you're beautiful! You've been distracted lately. I thought they might be mood swings! You didn't drink the wine! And you ate – a lot!"

She looks positively mortified, her mouth hanging open as she gapes at him.

"So, I would be wrong then?" he asks sheepishly. She shoots him a death-ray glare and then sits back down ignoring him. She gives him the silent treatment.

Again, he remembers her asking him if he was with Gina. Why would she think that? "Why would you think I was still with Gina for godsakes?" he voices, happy to be able to change the subject.

She decides to talk to him again. "I don't know. You seemed so upset that you weren't getting along. You spent the whole week with her at a hotel. You told me you went out to dinner and drinking with her. You're having what some might assume to be "lovers quarrels". You were back together with her all last summer! Oh, and, now I remember…you were once married to her!" she spat that last part out a lot louder than the first part.

"Oh, my god! You're jealous!" he gloats with a big fat smile.

"No, no, I'm not jealous! And stop gloating, you idiot."

"Yes you are! You're jealous." he accuses.

"Look, I'm not seeing Gina or anyone else for that matter." He said. This gets her attention. "She means nothing to me. At the moment, there _is_ someone I'm interested in, but unfortunately she's seeing someone else. I have yet to convince her to see the light and change her evil ways. She appears to be immune to my charms."

_Ok, so he's not seeing Gina, but there's still someone else. Who the hell is she? I'll rip her eyes out._ She tries to play cool but can't hide her frown. "So the famous Rick Castle charm is not working out too well for you right now?"

"Not so much. No." he mutters.

"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about then? You're planning to have a new girlfriend soon. You need me to give you relationship advice or something?" _She tries to remember where she put her gun._

"Something like that, yes. But I need you to do something for me first." He hedges.

"I need some more wine." She tells him.

"Won't it hurt the baby?" he jokes. She is not amused. He hands her the bottle.

"So what do you need me to do for you?"She asks in spite of herself.

"You have to break up with Josh."

"What?"

"You have to break up with Josh."

"Why do you keep repeating yourself?"

"You keep saying "what?"

"I heard you. I just can not believe you. _You_ want _me_ to break up with Josh?" She repeats. He nods in agreement. "Why? Why should I break up with Josh?" She asks. _She needs to go home. She's getting a headache. And she's going to kill Lanie._

"I was hoping you'd ask that. You don't love him. And he doesn't love you. He's all wrong for you. You're making a mistake. And I have something I'd like to show you. Something I wrote."

"He's not the right guy for me? I'm making a mistake. Well then by all means go ahead. What else have you got? Get it all off your chest. You're on a roll!" she says sarcastically, lifting her glass, finding it empty and placing it back on the desk.

She then picks up the bottle, takes a swig, and gives him the evil eye, willing him to have the balls to call her on it. _The nerve of this guy. I should break up with Josh because he's not right for me but I have to give him advice on his new love interest. Bastard. What the hell was I thinking wanting to get into a relationship with this guy?_

Her reaction amuses him but he thinks maybe it's time to make his intentions more clear before she shoots him. _He's in love with her. Can't she see this? Man, she's so damn cute when she's mad._ "I'm going to show you a story I wrote about this couple, who really aren't a couple yet. But the guy wants there to be." He hands it to her.

"_Great, now he's got me proofreading his work." she thinks._

She glances at the title, back up at him, and then quickly scans the first couple of lines. He watches her intently and sees the moment it finally sinks in. She looks up at him for confirmation and they lock eyes.

"The title of this story is…"Always". She says aloud, and then she re-scans the first couple of lines. "And the two main characters appear to be named Kate and Rick." She says looking up at him again with a smirk. Her previous anger apparently subsided along with the sensation to maim him. Those feelings are quickly replaced with some sort of warm, gooey substance running through her veins. She feels like an idiot.

"Well, I thought about changing the names, but figured you were just too smart for that so I left them." He said.

"This is about us?" she asks carefully.

"Yes, Kate it is. Please read it."

"How about you read it to me. After all, you are the author." She's blushing and clearly a little embarrassed about her earlier display.

He grins at her, takes back the document and starts to read…

"Oh, wait. I almost forgot." He says stopping to turn on his murder board. It lights up the room. "Props!" he announces smiling.

There are numerous digital photos lit up on the board and they all seem to be linked in a trail, some sort of timeline from what she can make of it. There were pictures of past significant others, pictures of their friends and lots of pictures of them together looking pretty damn happy. He's beaming, once again, very proud of himself. At the end of the trail is a big photo of the two of them smiling.

"So I bet you're wondering what this is all about?" he asks.

"I can't wait." She says part mesmerized, part mortified. It is after all, his murder board.

"This board tells the story of us, using facts. I know how much you like facts, being a detective and all."

She sits back and upright in her chair, eyes never leaving the board and takes it all in.

_He's using a murder board to explain the dynamics of our relationship. Huh. Why the hell didn't I think of that? Ingenious. We are both very twisted and deserving of each other._

She pretends to be appalled but secretly is quite impressed. Not that she would tell him that. _I should go ahead and tell him about Josh now so I can just jump him. _She moves off the chair to get a closer look at the board and possibly jump him.

"Oh my God, is that Josh? Castle is that Josh's High School graduation picture?" She laughs. "And Demming's Academy photo?"

"Yes. It was all I could get on such short notice!" he defends. "May I continue now?"

"Wait a minute Castle. Where's the photo of Tim?"

"Tim! Who the hell is Tim?"

"My third grade boyfriend, Timmy Reynolds."

He gives her the stink eye. She sits back down.

"Sorry. Yes, please. Do continue. You have more wine, right?"

"As I was saying, you and Josh are not in love. And I can prove it."

He takes a deep breath and begins to read. He didn't dare look up at her while he read…

"Always"

This is the story of Rick and Kate. From the time they first met there was a connection. You couldn't deny the chemistry. But they were meant to take different roads together. What started out as a forced union slowly developed into a great partnership and friendship.

The minute Rick met her he knew Kate was different. She was special. She didn't take any of his crap or put up with his antics. He'd met his match and he knew it. She only saw him as her sometime partner and friend and he'd accepted this. But he always had hope. Hope that someday she'd realize he wanted more. He wanted everything with her and he could wait.

He flirted and teased and sometimes she'd tease back. He'd do and say almost anything to make her smile or laugh. She thought he was just playing with her but he'd have followed through on any one of those innuendos if he'd thought for a second she really wanted him the way he wanted her. He wonders if she ever thinks of him that way. Before he makes a real move he needs to be sure she's all in. He doesn't just want an affair. He wants the whole shebang.

She's under the misconception that he's a playboy. He knows his reputation in the media looked bad, but it was all a load of crap. He knew she was smart enough not to believe everything she read but some of it was still pretty harsh. The truth was he was a pretty monogamous guy. He wasn't a cheater. In fact, both of his Ex-wives cheated on him. When he was younger and single he admits he was no saint but since he's been around Kate he's grown up. Mostly.

Fact is, she's the only woman he wants and if Kate was his, he would only have eyes for her.

They've spent a lot of time together. He learned she wasn't just hot, but beautiful - inside and out. She was funny, intelligent, generous, caring, honest, and loyal. Sometimes, she could be too serious, but then again, most times he was too silly and impulsive. She kept him grounded. And he seemed to amuse her. Theirs was a nice balance. His mother was right about them - Yin and Yang. They complimented each other.

She was a first rate, kick-ass cop. A one-woman, crime-fighting, mystery-solving, dynamo. She was extraordinary and he'd never met anyone else like her. He'd had no choice but to put her in his books. She was born for the pages. She was hard-working, dedicated, and she made him want to be a better person. He understood how important her job was to her. He wouldn't change a thing about her.

He wanted to take their relationship to the next level but there were always these pesky little obstacles…

_They worked together._ At first, she thought it was all a game to him. He was just a cop wanna be. She didn't always take him seriously. But he worked hard to convince her otherwise and eventually, he thinks she started to believe in him. Somewhere along the line they became real partners. Damn good partners. Could they continue to be partners if she rejected him?

He's thought this over for some time and believes they are both professionals and they would work it out. They've had each other's backs right from the beginning. That wasn't going to stop now. Rejection or not.

_He wasn't sure how she felt about him._ He's not one to brag, but he'd never had to work this hard in the romance department. He convinced himself to be content with just friendship so long as he could continue to spend time with her. She became his best friend. They let each other into their lives. Would they still be able to remain friends should she not feel the same for him?

He's vowed to be her friend no matter what happens between them. He wants her to be happy. He knows he could be the one to make her happy, but if she disagrees, he'll still always be her friend. He'll take whatever she will give him.

_Bad timing._ They've both had past relationships with unresolved issues left lurking in the present. He knew of her relationships mostly from what he picked up around the office. She didn't talk about any of the men from her past and he never had the nerve to ask her about them. She never even questioned him about his past, including his two failed marriages. It just wasn't her way.

He wondered what the real story with her and Demming was. That guy just kept popping up like a bad penny. He hated to admit it but Demming was an alright guy - for the competition. Rick got up the nerve to ask her to go away with him last summer. He'd stepped over the line and she chose Demming. This hurt like hell so he took off for awhile.

He couldn't watch them together. He told himself he would get over it but he needed a distraction. He had company for a day or so, until the woman from his past, Gina, confronted him about it. He didn't lie to Gina. He told her how it really was and she left. Gina knew she was just a substitute while he licked his wounds. He didn't love Gina and she didn't deserve to play second fiddle. She'll always be just his friend and editor. He spent that summer alone, in a pity party of self-doubt. Kate had made her choice. He only wanted her to be happy so he removed himself from the picture.

But he was weak, he missed her and he couldn't stay away. He returned, albeit to an incredibly rocky reunion. Demming appeared to be gone, thank God, but he had to work pretty damn hard to get their relationship back to where they had left off before the summer. He never found out why she and Demming broke up. The guys wouldn't dish about her that way. Plus they were weary of Rick's intentions.

And this takes us to the present obstacle. Josh. This obstacle was taller than Rick. Also, he's not really such a bad guy, depending on your taste. You'd probably want to set him up with your sister, if you had one, but still not the right guy for Kate. Why? You ask. Isn't it obvious?

On paper, they were the perfect couple. But the reality of it is that Josh doesn't love her. He doesn't appreciate her for the amazing woman she is. He doesn't get her. He doesn't understand what makes her tick. He isn't there for her. He leaves her for long periods of time. He puts his own job before making her happy but doesn't have a clue as to what her job means to her. What kind of relationship is that? He clearly doesn't love her.

Plus, she and Josh have no chemistry. Ok, some might argue there is some minor chemistry, but not like the sizzle Rick and Kate have. There's no comparison. She's never really relaxed around Josh. He doesn't make her laugh. She's not having fun. He doesn't make her sparkle. As determined previously, Josh doesn't really love Kate. And since everyone knows that in order for it to be true love, it has to be mutual, therefore, Kate can't be in love with Josh either.

Rick on the other hand, is very much in love with Kate. She's everything to him. He'd spend the rest of his life showing her what she means to him. He wants to have a family with her. Even if the child she may be carrying wasn't his own, he'd still vow to be the best father that baby could ever have.

They'd raise the kid together, along with as many other children she wanted to have. He envisioned them growing old together. And as he promised, he'd be there for her - Always.

So the facts are on the table… Josh can't be Kate's "One and Done" because Josh doesn't love her and also because she's already Rick's "One and Done" or as Alexis put it, "Kate's your lobster". Therefore, Kate should break up with Josh and be with Rick because everyone knows you can't have more than one "One and Done". It's just not done. I'm also fairly certain that same theory also applies to shellfish. It's really that simple. Oh, and I'm in love with you. Just in case I wasn't clear enough.

So what do you say Kate? What do you want?

When he finished reading he looked up at her. She had tears in her eyes but wasn't saying anything. He braced himself for her objections. He had prepared himself for them. He was about to hit panic mode when she smiled at him, rose from her chair, and then promptly launched herself at him. He took this as a good sign.

She kissed him passionately and he returned the kiss with everything he was worth. There were hands and lips and tongues all at once and very little breathing. They held on tight to each other enjoying the ride and the freedom to finally show each other how they really felt. Her hands were everywhere all at once and he was on the verge of throwing her over his shoulder cave man style to get her to the bedroom when his conscious smacked him in the head.

"Kate, wait! What about Josh? We can't do this yet. You have to break things off with him first."

"I did already. I broke up with him a couple of weeks ago." She said as she peppered him with kisses.

"Weeks ago, oh, ok good." He said kissing her again. He was having problems focusing. "Wait a minute! Did you say weeks ago? Why didn't you stop me? You let me go on and on telling you to break up with Josh, telling you who you're supposed to love. Even though I know how much you love being told what to do."

"That's what I came here tonight to talk to you about. I'm sorry but you were so damn cute with your story and your pictures. I didn't have the heart to interrupt you. Not to mention you threw me with all of this." She said gesturing to his props. "Honestly, Castle. Only you would think to woo a girl with a murder board. " She said.

"You know, we really need to work on our communication skills." He said.

"Yes, I'll admit to that. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." He said kissing her all along her neck.

"Why now Castle?"

"I missed you all week. You were all I could think about. And then I had this dream. Wait till I tell you about this dream…"

"Tell it to me later Castle. Take me to bed. Now."

"It was a really good dream." He said.

"Really Castle. We're finally going to do this and you want to talk? Now? You really do love the sound of your own voice."

"Kate?" he said getting her full attention. "I love you." He pulled her close and proceeded to kiss the stuffing out of her.

"I love you too." She said when they came up for air.

"So you don't want dessert?" he asked.

"Oh, we're going to have dessert alright Castle. Follow me." she said as she pulled him out of the room and headed straight towards his bedroom.

The End

I would love to hear if you liked it. Thanks for reading!


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